Rackley Scores 20 As Gamecocks Pull Away For 72-61 Win

Saturday, December 21

Tortola, BVI

5 p.m.

Jacksonville State University

6-9

Coppin State

4-7

Team	1	2	F
Jacksonville State	27	45	72
Coppin State	29	32	61

12/21/2013 7:14:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

TORTOLA, B.V.I. – Darion Rackley scored a game-high 20 points and the Jacksonville State men's basketball team pulled away from Coppin State for a 72-61 win in Saturday's consolation game of the B.V.I. Tropical Shootout.

After the Eagles (4-7) led most of the first half and early in the second, the Gamecocks (6-9) used an 8-0 run that gave them the lead for good. Rackley scored 18 of his points in the second half and teamed with fellow junior Avery Moore to guide JSU to a win in its final non-conference game of the year.

Moore went 4-for-7 from behind the arc and scored 10 points in the second half, while Rackley went 6-for-13 from the floor and made all seven of his free throw attempts.

Junior Jamal Hunter led the Gamecocks inside, grabbing nine boards in a game that saw both teams pull down 34 rebounds. He had six off of the offensive glass to go along with nine points. Junior D.J. Felder added six points and seven rebounds in just 13 minutes off of the bench because of foul trouble.

Junior Grant White dished four assists, while senior Brian Williams had five.

The Eagles got 13 points from three players. Arnold Fripp, Michael Murray and Taariq Cephas each scored a baker's dozen in the loss.

The Eagles struck early, scoring the game's first seven points and building as much as 13-3 lead in the first six minutes. Fripp made the game's first two buckets with a pair of 3-pointers to help his team's early spurt.

JSU started clawing back and eventually tied it at 22-22 on an Avery Moore triple with 5:18 left in the half. The Eagles answered with four-straight from the charity stripe to make it a 26-22 game, but the Gamecocks answered with a Williams 3-pointer and an Jamal Hunter putback to take their first lead of the night at 27-26 with just under two minutes on the clock.

CSU's Michael Murray capped the half with an old-fashioned 3-point play that regained the lead for the Eagles, 29-27 at the half.

Moore led JSU with six first-half points, thanks to a pair of treys, while Fripp's eight led the Eagles in the first 20 minutes.

Neither team led by more than three in the second half until the Gamecocks went on an 8-0 run that turned a 38-38 tie into a 46-38 advantage with 10:49 on the clock. After a CSU three from Sterling Smith stopped the run and cut it to a five-point game, JSU would never let the Eagles get any closer.

The Gamecocks led by as many as 12 and were 9-for-18 from the floor, 3-for-5 from behind the arc and 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 10 minutes to hold off any comeback attempt Coppin State may have.

JSU will now take off for Christmas break before opening Ohio Valley Conference play on Dec. 30 at home against UT Martin. The game will tip at 7:45 p.m. CT and will follow the JSU women's game against the Skyhawks at 5:15 p.m.